Thas'dorah
Thas'dorah is the ancient bow heirloom of the high elven Windrunner family. Long ago, the bow was carved from the wood of Thas'alah, an ancient, Sunwell-infused tree. Handed down to the eldest of each generation, the bow was last wielded by the high elf Ranger Captain Alleria Windrunner, bestowed by her mother. It disappeared along with its owner following the destruction of the orcs' homeworld, Draenor, and the subsequent formation of Outland. Later, during the Legion's third invasion of Azeroth, it was given to a hero of the Unseen Path. History The Amani trolls were wary of launching direct attacks on Silvermoon. The elves' magic kept them at bay for several millennia, but eventually the trolls lashed out again. The conflict would become known as the Troll Wars, and the death toll rose quickly. An order of fighters called rangers was founded to defend Quel'Thalas. The greatest of these early rangers was Talanas Windrunner, a master of archery and ranged combat. He swiftly rose in the ranks and was named the first ranger-general of Silvermoon for his bravery and valor. The leaders of Silvermoon commemorated the occasion by declaring that their champion be given a weapon befitting his new status. A trio of skilled artisans joined together to create a great bow for Talanas. They carved its body from a limb taken from Thas'alah and infused the wood with the waters of the Sunwell. Immersed in arcane power, the bow began to change. It was hardened, becoming nearly indestructible, and yet it still maintained its connection to the natural magics of Thas'alah. When it was retrieved from the Sunwell, the bow radiated power. Talanas was humbled by the gift. He named the weapon Thas'dorah, "Valor of the Forest". He promised that, as long as this weapon protected Highborne lands, Silvermoon would never fall. Talanas made good on his promise. Thas'dorah's power was so skillfully wrought that even a novice would have been able to hit a target from a hundred paces. In his hands, each arrow sang as it sailed to its mark. The Amani trolls soon learned to fear the sight of his bow, for if they ever caught a glimpse of it, they were within its range. They were forced to retreat, allowing the Highborne elves to settle deeper into the forest. Talanas Windrunner became a legend for his part in securing the land of Quel'Thalas for future generations. Thas'dorah remained with the Windrunner bloodline for thousands of years. The family dedicated their lives to the defense of Quel'Thalas, and in each generation, one would carry the bow into the forests to drive away any interlopers. Because Thas'dorah never left the region, it continued to bask in the radiant magic of the Sunwell and the surrounding forests. Slowly but surely, the bow was seasoned in a way no one could have anticipated. Its strength only increased. Its powers began to manifest in surprising ways. An arrow launched toward a target might be joined by other, magical arrows, also aimed at the enemy. Even after the Troll Wars drew to a close, Thas'dorah helped repel countless enemy incursions. A few years before the Horde invaded Azeroth, the ranger-general of Silvermoon was Lireesa Windrunner, who had three daughters: Alleria, Sylvanas, and Vereesa. As the eldest, Alleria was to take on the mantle of ranger-general, but she had little use for tradition or expectations. She decided to apply her training to practical matters, so she became a Farstrider, a member of a group of rangers focused on fighting for the Highborne all across Azeroth. She made a name for herself after a number of quick, decisive victories. Her sister Sylvanas would one day rise to leadership in her stead. Thas'dorah remained in Lireesa's hands. It would not be passed on to Alleria until tragedy struck. When the Horde invaded, most of the kingdoms of Azeroth did not believe it was a threat. After the orcs burned Stormwind to the ground, a few leaders took notice. The rulers of Silvermoon were reluctant to commit significant aid to the humans of Lordaeron, but Alleria thought that the demon-possessed orcs were a grave danger to the entire world. She led her group of rangers to Lordaeron-against orders-and fought at the Alliance's side with bravery. It wasn't until the orcs allied with the Amani trolls and turned their attention to Quel'Thalas that the Highborne understood the true threat. Many elven rangers--including Lireesa Windrunner, the ranger-general--died in a bloody attack. Sylvanas Windrunner would become the new ranger-general, but she passed Thas'dorah to her older sister Alleria. Sylvanas needed to help secure Quel'Thalas; she trusted that Alleria, a Farstrider, would have better opportunities to exact vengeance on the front lines. Her instincts proved correct. Alleria struck fear into orcs and trolls alike, bringing down countless enemies with her arrows. When the Second War ended, the orcs retreated to their homeworld of Draenor and rallied under a new warchief. Ner'zhul, the former chieftain of the Shadowmoon clan, promised that he would open portals to undiscovered worlds, ones ripe for plundering. The Alliance had no intention of letting him. Alleria volunteered to join the Alliance expedition as its lead scout. She carried Thas'dorah to Draenor with her. The need for revenge still weighed heavy on her heart. It wasn't until she became close to a human, Turalyon, that she began to see a future beyond this war. The Alliance expedition fought the Horde all across Draenor, but Ner'zhul succeeded in opening countless portals. The magical stress on the orcs' homeworld was so great that it was torn apart. Those among the Alliance who had not escaped through the Dark Portal, including Alleria and Turalyon, were presumed dead. When Thas'dorah was recovered from the Legion world of Niskara, it renewed hope that Alleria had survived the destruction of Draenor. Vereesa believed that her eldest sister had continued her war against evil by hunting the Burning Legion itself, pursuing it into the deepest recesses of the Twisting Nether. Just as Thas'dorah had absorbed power from its native realm, it had drunk deeply of the chaotic magics swirling through the Nether. Its arrows grew more potent, more accurate, and more lethal against the minions of the dark. The bow became a symbol of the war against the Legion, a means to rally the greatest hunters of Azeroth against the demon horde. Category:Weapons Category:High Elf Category:Artifacts Category:Bows